Brazil will be the focus of the sports world quite a bit over the next few years. In 2016, Rio deJaneiro will serve as the host city for the 2016 Summer Olympics. But first, cities around the nation will welcome fans from around the globe for the 2014 World Cup.

A total of 12 different venues are slated to host matches during the month-long event. Given the size of Brazil, some cities like Manaus are quite a distance away from the other sites, which will lead to some intense travel for certain national teams.

With that in mind, let's check out all of the important stadium details. Those are followed by a complete schedule for the marquee international event and a deeper dive into the host nation's chances of raising the World Cup trophy on home soil.

Brazil enters the tournament as one of four top contenders. Argentina, Germany and the defending champions from Spain make up the rest of that top-tier group. It would be an upset if one of those sides didn't win the title, even with a strong cast of secondary championship hopefuls.

As always, serving as the host nation can be either a positive or a negative. The amazing amount of crowd support can serve as a huge advantage. But a team must understand how to overcome the added pressure that comes along with that support.

The Selecao handled the situation perfectly one year ago in the Confederations Cup, which is basically a test run for the World Cup. They won the tournament with some truly outstanding performances, including a 3-0 win over Spain in the final.

Now they are expected to replicate the result on a much grander stage.

VaishaliBhardwaj of Goal.com passed along comments manager Luiz Felipe Scolari made in the Times of India. He said it's up to them to turn the entire World Cup experience into a positive one for the country:

When Brazil play in the World Cup, people expect them to win it. That's not extra pressure, but that's normal for a Brazilian fan, as well as for a Brazilian footballer. If you realize this, the job will be easier.

I know there are issues [with how the tournament has been organized]. People are not happy. We have a duty to make them happy by winning the cup for them.

At the outset, it looks like Brazil has a great chance to do exactly that. The squad features everything you look for in a championship side.

The Selecao feature experience at the back, highlighted by Thiago Silva and Dani Alves, strength in the midfield thanks to Oscar and Paulinho and an attacking superstar capable of turning an entire match around on his own in Neymar.

Add in the home-field advantage and it's not hard to see why Bloomberg's simulations picked Brazil to raise the World Cup trophy, as noted by the outlet's David Stringer:

The journey won't be easy, of course. Group A could be trickier than it looks on paper with an underrated Croatia side and Mexico, which could bounce back on the big stage after a lackluster qualifying campaign. Cameroon also has some star power led by Samuel Eto'o.

Then the Round of 16 would feature a matchup against a side from Group B, which features Spain, Chile, the Netherlands and Australia. The first three of those teams are all dangerous.

How far will Brazil go in the World Cup?

Group StageRound of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinalSubmit Votevote to see results

How far will Brazil go in the World Cup?

Group Stage

3.9%

Round of 16

11.6%

Quarterfinals

17.1%

Semifinals

38.8%

Final

28.7%

Total votes: 129

Yet, despite the numerous hurdles that lie ahead, it's nothing Brazil can't handle. As long as it displays form on the same level or higher than the Confederations Cup, a deep run should be in the cards. And anything can happen once the tournament reaches the semifinals.

A lot will depend on the success of Neymar, who was the best player in last summer's tournament but went through some dry spells with Barcelona at the club level. If he gets back into top form, Brazil should prove itself as the team to beat.

And with a raucous crowd behind them, the Selecao will be an incredibly tough out.